Chapter 1: BLOOD ON THE DOCKS The scent of iron hung vividly in the air. Lorenzo De Luca stepped into the dimly lit warehouse, his gaze immediately locked onto the body lying lifeless on the cold concrete floor soaked in a pool of his blood. He was too late. His jaw tightened as he took in the brutal scene. He had come to meet Miguel Vasquez, to collect information the man owed him, but it seems someone had gotten there first. And judging by the warmth of his body, it hadn't been long. A slow, deliberate click of shoes against the floor pulled Lorenzo's attention to the shadows. The rival of the De Luca Empire since the dawn of time, Gabriel Moretti. He stepped forward, casually wiping a spot of blood from his cuff with a smile. "Oh you missed the fun, De Luca," said Moretti, slipping his hands into the pockets of his expensive coat. "Shame. He had so much to say." Lorenzo's expression didn't change, but tension waved through him. Vasquez had been useful, a man with connections, someone who owed him a debt. Killing him was a direct message. And Moretti wanted him to hear it loud and clear. Lorenzo exhaled slowly, forcing his temper to remain in check. "Sloppy," he said, tilting his head toward the mess on the floor. "Not your usual style." Moretti chuckled. "Consider it a personal touch." His eyes shined with amusement. "Besides, it's not like you cared about him." Lorenzo said nothing. He wouldn't give Moretti the satisfaction. After a moment, Moretti sighed dramatically. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Unless, of course, you plan on stopping me?" His tone was mocking, a challenge laced into every word. Lorenzo didn't take the bait. Moretti wasn't stupid enough to start a war, not here, not now. Instead, he watched in silence as Moretti walked toward the exit, and his men followed behind him. The warehouse door slammed shut, leaving only the sound of blood dripping onto the concrete. Lorenzo turned back to Vasquez's lifeless body. This wasn't just business. Moretti had taken something from him, and debts always had to be repaid. A slight movement at the entrance caught his eye. Marco stepped inside, his face carefully neutral. Lorenzo didn't look away from the body. "Clean this up." Marco gave a short nod, already pulling out his phone to make the necessary arrangements. Lorenzo stepped over the corpse without a second glance. Miguel Vasquez had a daughter. And she was about to learn what it meant to be in debt to the mafia. "Debts have to be paid, one way or another." He said as he exited the warehouse.
The scent of iron clung to the air.
Lorenzo De Luca stepped into the dimly lit warehouse, his sharp gaze immediately locking onto the body sprawled on the cold concrete floor. Blood pooled beneath the man's head, the deep crimson stark against the dull gray.
He was too late.
His jaw tightened as he took in the brutal scene. He had come to meet Miguel Vasquez, to collect information the man owed him, but someone had gotten here first. And judging by the way Vasquez's body was still warm, it hadn't been long.
A slow, deliberate click of shoes against the floor pulled Lorenzo's attention to the shadows. Gabriel Moretti stepped forward, casually wiping a spot of blood from his cuff with a smirk.
"Missed the fun, De Luca," Moretti mused, slipping his hands into the pockets of his expensive coat. "Shame. He had so much to say."
Lorenzo's expression didn't change, but tension rippled through him. Vasquez had been useful, a man with connections, someone who owed him a debt. Killing him was a direct message.
And Moretti wanted him to hear it loud and clear.
Lorenzo exhaled slowly, forcing his temper to remain in check. "Sloppy," he said, tilting his head toward the mess on the floor. "Not your usual style."
Moretti chuckled. "Consider it a personal touch." His eyes gleamed with amusement. "Besides, it's not like you cared about him."
Lorenzo said nothing. He wouldn't give Moretti the satisfaction.
After a beat, Moretti sighed dramatically. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Unless, of course, you plan on stopping me?" His tone was mocking, a challenge woven into every word.
Lorenzo didn't take the bait. Moretti wasn't stupid enough to start a war, not here, not now. Instead, he watched in silence as Moretti strolled toward the exit, his men falling into step behind him.
The warehouse door creaked shut, leaving only the sound of blood dripping onto concrete.
Lorenzo turned back to Vasquez's lifeless form. This wasn't just business. Moretti had taken something from him, and debts always had to be repaid.
A flicker of movement at the entrance caught his eye. Marco stepped inside, his face carefully neutral.
Lorenzo didn't look away from the body. "Clean this up."
Marco gave a short nod, already pulling out his phone to make the arrangements.
Lorenzo stepped over the corpse without a second glance.
Miguel Vasquez had a daughter.
And she was about to learn what it meant to be in debt to the mafia.
Elena Vasquez had always believed in control.
She controlled her career, her future, and the carefully constructed life she had built. But in the span of a single phone call, everything shattered.
Her father was dead.
Murdered.
She stood in her small apartment, gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. The voice on the other end of the line was calm. Too calm.
"You should come to the docks, Miss Vasquez. We need to talk."
The call disconnected before she could demand answers.
Her hands trembled as she lowered the phone, her mind racing. Who was 'we'? What did they want? And why had they contacted her instead of the police?
Every instinct screamed at her to stay put, to call the cops, to do something. But she wasn't stupid. She knew the way the world worked.
Whoever had killed her father wasn't the type to leave loose ends.
And if they had reached out to her, it meant she was already tangled in whatever this was.
And if she wanted answers, she had no choice but to go.
Even if it meant walking straight into the lion's den.
Chapter 1 BLOOD ON THE DOCK
25/03/2025
Chapter 2 INTO THE LION'S DEN
25/03/2025
Chapter 3 A TRAIL OF SECRETS
25/03/2025
Chapter 4 WARNINGS AND WATCHFUL EYES
25/03/2025
Chapter 5 A LINE CROSSED
25/03/2025
Chapter 6 A STEP TOO CLOSE
25/03/2025
Chapter 7 NOWHERE IS SAFE
25/03/2025
Chapter 8 A BATTLE OF WILLS
25/03/2025
Chapter 9 BEHIND ENEMY LINES
25/03/2025
Chapter 10 CLOSE CALL
25/03/2025
Chapter 11 WHISPERS IN THE DARK
25/03/2025
Chapter 12 THE WAREHOUSE
25/03/2025
Chapter 13 UNEXPECTED VISITOR
01/04/2025
Chapter 14 GHOSTS AND SHADOWS
28/04/2025
Chapter 15 UNSEEN ENEMIES
28/04/2025
Chapter 16 THE SILENCE BEFORE THE STORM
28/04/2025
Chapter 17 HUNTED
28/04/2025
Chapter 18 THE CROSSROADS
28/04/2025
Chapter 19 THREADS OF TRUTH
29/04/2025
Chapter 20 MOONLIT SECRETS
29/04/2025
Chapter 21 THE CAMERA'S FOOTAGE
03/05/2025
Chapter 22 IDENTITY REVEAL
03/05/2025
Chapter 23 GUNPOINT GAMBIT
05/05/2025
Chapter 24 INFILTRATING IL NOCCHIERO
05/05/2025
Chapter 25 THE CROSSFIRE AT THE SAFEHOUSE
15/05/2025
Chapter 26 NO WAY OUT
15/05/2025
Chapter 27 MIDNIGHT FANTASIES
18/05/2025
Chapter 28 HEAT IN THE KITCHEN
28/05/2025
Chapter 29 THE NOTE IN HER POCKET
31/05/2025
Chapter 30 SILENT WATCH
31/05/2025
Chapter 31 SHADOWS BEFORE SUNRISE
01/06/2025
Chapter 32 POWER OUTAGE
04/06/2025
Chapter 33 QUICK WARDROBE CHANGE
06/06/2025
Chapter 34 THIRD TIME'S THE TRIGGER
07/06/2025
Chapter 35 SOMETHING'S OFF
16/06/2025
Chapter 36 THE QUIET BETWEEN US
16/06/2025
Chapter 37 FAULT LINES
16/06/2025
Chapter 38 TANGLED WIRES
21/06/2025
Chapter 39 CRACKS IN THE FRAME
21/06/2025
Chapter 40 UNDER PRESSURE
21/06/2025